Alexandro Valcarcel

Give us the elevator pitch on what you do.

Hola! I'm Alexandro (y’all can call me Alex) and I’m a graphic designer based in Lima, Peru. I primarily work in graphic design, but I’ve also tried my hand at photojournalism – gotta love the 35mm analog format (shoot film, not bullets!) Currently, I am part of the design team of Teatro La Plaza, one of Peru’s most prestigious theatre companies. More specifically, I am in charge of developing branding, media releases, social media and web design for its theatre festival, “Sala de Parto”.

Although it’s my job, I don’t see it as work because I love doing posters!  I believe posters are unique in their potential for rich, engaging communication, which I take advantage to the fullest extent to generate new visual experiences!

What are some of your earliest creative memories and what lead you into design?

Back in “the old days”, my mom used to buy me tons of children’s magazines. Funnily enough, I still own most of those late ‘90s magazines, kind of like my own little treasure trove. Even today, I still get a thrill out of a lot of them, with their quirky, colorful panels and pages dedicated to ‘90s cartoons from Cartoon Network to Disney. Back then, the thrill was enough to spark a creative habit — I was soon making my own pages. I’d cut up a few pages with my favorite characters, like Dexter from Dexter’s Lab, and piece them all back together in a scrappy collage (no regrets towards the now-ruined magazines).

Whenever I get this type of question, “my earliest creative memories”, “my inspiration”, I immediately go back to those magazines, how visually enriching they were with all those design elements and little details. It’s cool to think that something so simple and fun defined my later self and my choice of interests. To this day, I dream about having my own magazine, an editorial under my curation. While at my university, with thanks to some friends of mine, I entered the design world by making posters to promote their film club. I’d make a movie poster with some creative twist each week. My extreme love for poster design came soon after, with big opportunities, too! I’ll never call design a hobby — it really isn’t. To me, it’s a passion that I could not have found any sooner (and I found it for good!).

What was your plan for graduating and what actually happened?

I studied journalism at Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) in Lima. I do get the occasional (actually, frequent) question along the lines of “what does design have to do with what you originally studied?”. In actuality, journalism helped me quite a lot — this may sound oddly poetic — to reinterpret my vision over the world and society. Design courses were a regular fixture throughout my semesters, many of which focused on editorial work and infographics (and, of course, basic graphic design). By graduation, I found out that I was more of a visual kind of guy than a journalist. I became drawn to photojournalism, and even my design-based personal projects became outlets for my political critiques (they still do…) In short, my work now is a sort of a mish-mash of all that I’ve learned. I don’t consider any of my time spent in school as wasted. You’ve gotta be thankful for those opportunities and look out for new ones, always!

How did you develop your style as an illustrator and what tips would you have for others?

It’s all about looking for something new, and, if you look carefully, it’s all around us. I think everything has already been done and that the world itself its a remix. Our contribution to this mix is a special feature, a personal input, a different essence. Listen to music, read books, watch movies — let all these creative sources mesh together and inspire you to create an aesthetic, one that frees and empowers you for being yours only. Think of the possibilities that you can offer with this mindset. Just do you: there are many categories, codes, and labels out there, but notice that the best never associate with just one. This doesn’t just apply to graphic design.  Maybe you want to be a chef, too? That’s cool! Be the best chef and graphic designer out there, always looking towards what’s new! Whatever you do, don’t let the flame of your passion go out.